The Red Bull Ring, which hosts the Austrian Grand Prix, has been known by a number of different names. When it was first built, it was dubbed the ‘Osterreichring’.
Today’s layout is a 65-70 second, 2.7-mile dash. The original was a mile longer, though it retains many of the same sequences, including the recognisable climb to the first corner.
In 1975, the Osterreichring played host to round 12 out of 14, with home hero Niki Lauda carrying a 17-point lead into the event. The Ferrari driver was looking to see off Martini Racing ace Carlos Reutemann to win his first F1 title.
Lauda took pole position for the event, outpacing future title rival James Hunt by a tenth of a second. Reutemann was only 10th.
Vittorio Brambilla won the Austrian Grand Prix in remarkable circumstances
The race, as it turned out, was won from eighth on the grid as Vittorio Brambilla mastered the torrential rain in his Ford-powered March. As Lauda dropped down to sixth place, Brambilla charged into the lead and built a 30-second advantage.
The awful conditions saw the race shortened to half distance. As Brambilla took the chequered flag for his first-ever F1 win, he lost control of the car, sliding backwards up the hill and slamming into the barriers.
Fortunately, he’d crossed the line before the impact, and his victory was confirmed. It was only March’s second F1 win after Jackie Stewart’s success at the 1970 Spanish GP.
Ronnie Peterson would deliver their third and final triumph in Italy a year later. Their first spell in the sport came to an end in 1977, but they returned for three more before finally bowing out in 1992.
What happened to Vittorio Brambilla after his one and only F1 win?
Brambilla was 37 when he won his first race. He still ranks inside the top 25 oldest victors in the sport’s history.
He remained with March for the 1976 season, but only scored one point. The Italian would then move to Surtees, where he finished in the top six four times.
1978 would prove to be his final year as a regular driver. He made a handful of appearances for Alfa Romeo, but never saw the chequered flag.
Brambilla retired from racing at the end of 1980 and died in 2001 at the age of 63. His unique F1 feat ensures he’ll never be forgotten.